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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29024928">Slow Burn</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/NemesisGray/pseuds/NemesisGray'>NemesisGray</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Shallow [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Star Wars Legends: The Old Republic (Video Game)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>F/M, Slow Burn</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-01-27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-01-27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-13 03:26:11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Explicit</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>850</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29024928</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/NemesisGray/pseuds/NemesisGray</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Neacht doesn't like soliders. Aric doesn't like Jedi. But they like each other. Eventually</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Female Jedi Knight | Hero of Tython/Aric Jorgan</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Shallow [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/2157507</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Slow Burn</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The camp on Odessen was quiet, only the sounds of the swamp could be heard, everybody had finally fallen asleep and Neacht could go over the plans for the mission in peace without anybody interfering, without emotions, expectations, judgement. Without the general annoyance she felt being surrounded by soldiers.</p><p> </p><p>It wasn’t fair to Havoc Squad and she knew it. But she didn’t trust soldiers. She couldn’t. Not after Var Suthra, not after Rusk.</p><p> </p><p>Silently, she slipped from her tent, heading towards the command tent and hopefully a caf machine. Or at least instant caf and something that boiled water. The only good thing about soldiers was the fact that they tended to carry caf around like it was bacta. Not that she could blame them. </p><p> </p><p>A throat clearing had her freezing in the middle of the clearing, guiltily turning and hoping Theron hadn’t caught her. The former SIS agent always complained she didn’t sleep enough. Neacht rolled her eyes and sneered, if that wasn’t a prime example of a pot calling a kettle.</p><p> </p><p>But when she made a full turn she wasn’t looking into the displeased gaze of Theron Shan, super spy. No, instead she was looking into the curious yet shuttered gaze of Major Aric Jorgan.</p><p> </p><p>“It’s late,” Aric said, crossing his arms, his rifle across his lap, cleaning products on the small table next to him, “shouldn’t you be asleep?”</p><p> </p><p>“Shouldn’t you?” Neacht asked, standing defiantly.</p><p> </p><p>She was taller than the Cathar, by a good six inches not counting her horns, but he was older than her, in his forties, a major, and the standard career military man. If she hadn’t been frozen, she’d only be four years younger than him, but she <em>had</em> been frozen, and as such, she was still thirty-one, nine years his junior. Not enough to really matter but enough to some people.</p><p> </p><p>She hoped it wouldn’t matter to Aric. Just like she hoped he wouldn’t treat her like a naïve child.</p><p> </p><p>“You’re wanting to go over the mission plan, aren’t you?” he asked instead of answering.</p><p> </p><p>“Yeah,” she narrowed her gaze.</p><p> </p><p>“I have it here,” he tilted his head to the table; next to the cleaning supplies was the plan, “I was making sure there wouldn’t be that many casualties.”</p><p> </p><p>Casualties. The way he said the word had Neacht searching his face but instead of asking him about it, she asked instead, “mind if I look over it?”</p><p> </p><p>“Nope,” he shook his head and went back to cleaning his rifle.</p><p> </p><p>She slowly approached the table, pulling up a crate of rations, looking over the plan she saw handwritten notes. Major Aric Jorgan was a stickler for details. The notes were more in-depth explanations.</p><p> </p><p>Neacht found herself admiring the man’s attention to detail. “Why didn’t you say all this at the meeting?” </p><p> </p><p>He didn’t answer until she looked up to see his steady gaze on her. He was studying her.</p><p> </p><p>“I’ve worked with Jedi before and most of them don’t like when a Force-blind gives an idea,” his voice even but firm. An honest answer and he wasn’t going to change it.</p><p> </p><p>Neacht snorted and leaned on the table using one arm, “they were idiots. It’s better to pool ideas and pick the best one,” shaking her head, she looked up at the sky, “you have several notes here about limiting the casualties.”</p><p> </p><p>“I do. I don’t like the idea of people dying needlessly. If I can make sure everybody comes home, then I will. I’ll pick that plan.” </p><p> </p><p>“That’s novel,” her eyes narrowed, and her hand stroked her chin as she thought, her eyes roaming over Aric’s face, “I’ve worked with plenty of soldiers before, and none of them gave two shits about casualties as long as they won.”</p><p> </p><p>“They weren’t soldiers then; they were butchers.”</p><p> </p><p>His answer was quick and filled with so much conviction that Neacht reacted as if slapped.</p><p> </p><p>“You really believe that” she couldn’t stop the words.</p><p> </p><p>“Of course, I do. Every life matters. Everybody deserves to go home safe and sound and people that forget that they aren’t people. They’re monsters.” His gaze was intense, fiery and his feelings blazed through the Force.</p><p> </p><p>“I like your plan,” she said, discharging the aura in the air, “it’s a great plan.”</p><p> </p><p>“You mean that.” It wasn’t a question.</p><p> </p><p>“I never lie.” </p><p> </p><p>“You’re not the type to lie,” they inclined their heads towards each other, a silent agreement, “you would’ve told me during the planning meeting if you didn’t like my idea.”</p><p> </p><p>“I would’ve yes,” she wanted to ask how he knew she wasn’t the type to lie. The undercurrent of his words meant that it wasn’t because she was a Jedi. He knew the reason she wouldn’t lie wasn’t because she was a Jedi, he’d been lied to by Jedi before, no she wouldn’t lie because she wasn’t the type. “I’ll always be honest with you.”</p><p> </p><p>Aric smiled slightly, relaxing at her words, some of the tension leaving his body. It was as if he’d been waiting for her to say exactly that. “And I’ll always be honest with you.”</p><p> </p>
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